Fifteen
by thyPOPE
Summary: For Tezuka's birthday. Oneshot. Fifteen drabbles for fifteen years of lifesome crossovers, some popular pairings, some completely random. ]


Disclaimer--nothing you see here belongs to me. Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Higarashi no Koko ni Kai belongs to its creator. A Midsummer's Night Dream belongs to Shakespeare. Air Gear belongs to its creator. Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko.

Fifteen pairings for Tezuka's birthday.

Tezuka thinks that Echizen is still not there yet, but he will be, and when he is, Tezuka will be above him again and Echizen will have to chase after him, to grow and solidify as a pillar. He looks forward to the day Echizen will finally surpass Echizen-san, or the day Echizen will really awaken his potential, his love for tennis and not the one for winning. That's the day he'll be catching up to Echizen instead of the other way around, but for now, the first year is still mada mada dane, and Tezuka is acutely aware of it.

-

Tezuka always finds himself letting his guard down around Fuji. He never means to, but Fuji will be talking to him and suddenly they will be in a position Tezuka has never imagined himself in, and he's enjoying it and wishing he doesn't because it's improper and not what's expected of him and Tezuka never does anything except what's proper, unless he's with Fuji. Which starts the cycle all over again.

-

Atobe is an enigma, especially to Tezuka. He doesn't know how Atobe can stand so much attention, let alone embrace it so well. But he feels a tinge of jealousy whenever Atobe's cheerleaders are cheering and Atobe gives them acknowledgement in a way other than from rival to rival. Sometimes Tezuka thinks he'd like to be Atobe's teammate, but then he wonders how he'd stand the ego.

-

Mizuki has always intrigued Tezuka, from the day he found out that it was Mizuki that had recruited Fuji Yuuta into Saint Rudolph. While he sometimes has an annoying laugh, Mizuki is good-looking (which Tezuka hates to admit) and shares his love of purple. And when Mizuki first presses his beautiful, flushed pink lips to Tezuka's, Tezuka wonders why he ever thought he was straight.

-

When he talks to Mukahi for the first time, he's in the library, reading an English translation of Anna Karenina, and Mukahi is actually reading over his shoulder. No one does that, and it makes him start on his path to downfall. And when Tezuka sees the boy next to Oshitari during their match against Hyoutei, he almost wishes he could be the blue-haired tensai. But he can't, because he's a buchou, and a buchou has a responsibility to his own team.

-

Sanada is the kind of person that is reliable. Or Tezuka has always thought so, until Sanada shows up to their first date ten minutes late. But then Sanada informs him that he'd taken long only because his parents had been fussing over his outfit, and all is forgiven, especially when Tezuka's eyes travel down the form-fitting ensemble and suddenly appreciates Sanada's parents a whole lot more.

-

Other than his family, Oishi is the first person Tezuka comes to like. He's careful and kind of shy and a relatively good tennis player, and he always, always does his best. No matter what. Oishi is a dependable best friend, and later on proves to be a dependable lover as well, even with Kikumaru sometimes hovering around. But Tezuka never minds, not when Oishi is there.

-

The only thing Tezuka has in common is their glasses. Or that's what he thinks, until he catches Inui reading Gravitation in the library. But when Inui looks up, he admits it was only curiosity about what Tezuka likes to read, and Tezuka finds himself turning red because no one, _no one_, knows that he has even heard of Gravitation and yet Inui knows he loves it. But Inui is Inui, Tezuka reflects, and that's why Tezuka likes him.

-

Chitose is one of the few other junior high players that has managed to open a door to the muga no kyouchi, and Tezuka appreciates that. In more ways than one. After all, it is Chitose who can predict when Tezuka will score a point, and it is Chitose who can predict exactly when Tezuka will break down and start screaming, begging for more, and Tezuka can't imagine having it any other way.

-

Kazuma doesn't play tennis, but that has never stopped Tezuka from loving him. After all, it is Kazuma who taught Tezuka that there is more to life than tennis, and it is Kazuma who can match Tezuka's own level of dedication. Kazuma is more faithful than Tezuka deserves, as well. Sometimes Tezuka wonders why Kazuma wants to stick to him, a tennis player who cannot even balance on his own Air Trecks.

-

Tezuka's first kiss is stolen from him when he stays in Germany. The giver is an impish boy with spiky pink hair, and a beautiful Italian accent. The feminine whisper sticks in his mind even as he plays tennis in Kyuushuu, and he sometimes feels cool pink lips lingering on his own, wondering how he managed to stay calm the first time Puck did this, because he certainly can't now.

-

Satoko is a beautiful girl. Her liveliness reminds Tezuka of Kikumaru, and her hair is soft and thick, and short, as well. Tezuka intends to teach her tennis—she has the genius, and the arm strength. And she has the passion and her hair won't swing in her face when she tries to return a ball. Tezuka shouldn't underestimate her. But because she's both female and not a tennis player, Tezuka keeps letting his guard down.

-

Tachibana is able to command the undying loyalty of his entire team, and that makes Tezuka almost jealous. His team is unswervingly loyal to him, true, but they aren't in love with him like Fudoumine is with Tachibana. Tezuka can see the attraction. Tachibana is strong and dependable (most of the time) and commands loyalty the way Tezuka commands respect. That's why even Tezuka listens to Tachibana.

-

It's not that Sengoku is a good player. Well, he is, but that's not why Tezuka likes him. Tezuka likes him for that strange charisma that draws the people around him to Sengoku's happy-go-lucky visage. Tezuka likes him for his strong build. Tezuka likes him for his pensive thoughts and optimistic attitude. Tezuka does not like him for the way his hickeys leave a brand of ownership on Tezuka's skin the next day. Really.

-

Yaten is secretive and unreadable. Tezuka almost never sees him except on his television set, but Yaten's voice carries through his iPod (which he swears no one will ever know he owns), even as he takes the train back home at the end of a long day. Yaten inspires him the way almost no one else does. And, he thinks, Yaten's hands are like butterflies tickling his skin, there for only a fleeting moment but every time a miracle.


End file.
